When it comes to Batman villains, Joker is the one who immediately comes to mind despite the extensive list of Gotham’s vilest to choose from. Although for some, the Clown Prince of Crime’s comic book appearances define him, his on-screen appearances in movies, TV shows, and video games delivered the character to an audience that may otherwise never have become invested in the complex, maniacal character. One actor who has not played the Joker, but could be one of the best, is Willem Dafoe. Recently, the Spider-Man actor pitched his interest in portraying the character in a new iteration, and James Gunn and Peter Safran should consider making a space for him in their plans.

The on-screen history of the Joker goes back to the 60s Batman TV series when Cesar Romero brought a gleeful version of the villain to life alongside Adam West’s caped crusader. The Joker’s first big screen appearance took a much darker turn in Tim Burton’s 1989 movie Batman. In the context of the movie, Jack Nicholson played Jack Napier, the criminal responsible for the death of Bruce Wayne’s parents, who became Joker after falling into a vat of chemical waste. After being considered an insurmountable performance for over a decade, Heath Ledger’s take on the character in The Dark Knight brought a completely different Joker to the screen, earning the actor a posthumous Oscar.

Appearances in the TV series Gotham and multiple animated movies and shows voiced by, among others, Mark Hamill, have kept the Joker in the public eye. However, the 2019 movie Joker brought the character back to the big screen in a completely subversive way. Joaquin Phoenix’s performance as Arthur Fleck, a man who finds the world constantly putting him down and who comes up with the Joker persona to make his mark on the world, proved that there are many ways for Joker to be interpreted and still capture the iconic villain perfectly.

Related: Why Willem Dafoe Is a Perfect Fit for Robert Eggers' Nosferatu

Why Does the World Need Willem Dafoe to Bring His Version of Joker to Life?

Willem Dafoe in American Psycho
Lions Gates Films

Willem Dafoe has played plenty of villainous characters on screen, including Spider-Man’s Green Goblin, who was most recently seen making an unexpected return in Spider-Man: No Way Home alongside other iconic villains from Sony’s Spider-Man movies. With Dafoe’s Goblin already being considered one of the greatest performances as a Marvel villain, reprising his role two decades later as part of Tom Holland’s MCU Spider-Man arc reminded the world exactly how Dafoe has capabilities to bring about an almost Gollum-like change in personality to his roles without the need for CGI or make-up effects.

This is the first reason why Dafoe needs to play Joker. His range of expression is perfect for the conflicting emotions the Joker goes through, from comical glee to mocking sadness to menacing insanity. The in-camera transformation Dafoe undergoes as Green Goblin, invoking the split-personality differences that Andy Serkis’ motion capture performance brought to Lord of the Rings’ Gollum, would allow him to effortlessly bring a new level to the character’s on-screen appearance. While other actors have been able to capture the character, they have usually gone down a singular route when it comes to the Joker’s expressions. Nicholson brought over-the-top comic-book flamboyance to the role that, in parts, seemed to take inspiration from Romero’s TV show Joker. In contrast, Ledger brought a more psychological and serious-faced Joker to The Dark Knight. Phoenix has already delivered the most human Joker performance in his first movie, and another new Joker is already waiting in the wings, with Barry Keoghan seemingly ready to bring another gritty, real-world Joker to The Batman universe. Dafoe is one of the few actors who can combine all of these Joker traits into one performance, which is reason enough to give him his shot.

Related: Willem Dafoe's Most Unique Performances, Ranked

Willem Dafoe Already Has an Idea of How He Can Play Joker

willem dafoe joker
Sony/WB

Dafoe recently spoke again about his desire to play the Joker, which he has pitched before. He even has an idea of how he could play the role without impacting any other actors currently in the position. He recently said:

"There is something interesting about, like, if there was a Joker Imposter. So it would be possible to have not duelling Jokers but someone that says to be the Joker that isn't the Joker... if you had Joaquin Phoenix's Joker, and then you had someone who was either imitating or riffing off what he did."

This would certainly allow Dafoe to bring his own take to the Joker without having to stick directly to any particular version of the character that has already been established within DC Comics or on screen. That would also allow the actor to really cut loose and put his own stamp on the Joker while also being able to bring a new dimension to the role as someone who doesn’t necessarily have the twisted way of thinking that Joker has but actively chosen to follow the villain’s path for his own reasons. This is just another reason why Dafoe has to be allowed to not only play Joker but to bring his own idea of which Joker he wants to play to the screen.